Balochistan LG polls: Independents lead with 1,753 seats, JUI-F emerges as top political party

QUETTA: Independent candidates were leading in the Balochistan local government (LG) elections, held in 32 of its 34 districts of the province after a period of nine years, Geo News reported.

The TV report stated that independent candidates were leading on around 1,753 seats, according to unofficial results while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) won 362 seats, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) 257 seats, National Party (NP) 128 seats, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) 125, Balochistan National Party (BNP) 92, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 99, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) 59, BNP Awami 49, Awami National Party (ANP) 32,  Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) 19, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) 18 and Jamat-e-Islami (JI) emerged victorious on 11 seats.

Democracy strengthened

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said democracy was strengthened with the local government elections in Balochistan.

In a statement on Twitter Sunday, he said, “With LG elections in Balochistan, democracy stands strengthened.”

“People’s active participation in polls shows their trust in state institutions to provide security & ensure smooth conduct of polls. I admire law enforcement agencies for their role. Pakistan Zindabad,” he tweeted.

Violence

During the polling on Sunday, violence was reported in several districts, while Qalat and Nauskhi were hit by explosions. However, authorities foiled terror attempts in Kohlu and Chaman. Only a couple of hours into polling, an armed clash took place between two groups in Nasirabad Municipal Committee Ward 25. Consequently, the voting process was suspended for a while.

Candidates and polling agents clashed with each other, and several were injured in the firing and shifted to hospital. The election violence turned deadly in the Qilla Abdullah district where one person was killed in and another was injured.

In Sibbi, two groups clashed in Ward-4 of Union Council Mal Chachar resorting to heavy gunfire, which left at least 10 people wounded. At least three of the injured were in critical condition.

In Loralai, polling agents from rival ANP and BAP clashed over an alleged omission in the voters’ rolls in the Dargai Qilla area. In Chaman, polling was suspended after political activists clashed in Ward-3 of the Municipal Council Chaman.

Political activists clashed using batons in Ward-7 and 21 of Dera Murad Jamali. At least two people were wounded including a candidate for a minority seat, Mahindar Kumar.

In Kohlu’s Union Council, six voters clashed with each other and also tried to beat up the polling staff. The polling process was suspended as seven people were left wounded. In Nauskhi, a bomb exploded near the women’s polling station in Ward-4 of the Union Council Mengal. However, no casualties were reported.

In Qalat, terrorists fired a rocket at Degree College Mangochar, which hosted a polling station and lobbed a hand grenade at another polling station in Dastigard.

Election arrangements

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had set up 5,226 polling stations and at least 1,974 of them had been declared ‘sensitive’. A total of 16,195 candidates contested for seven municipal councils, 838 union councils, 5,345 rural and 914 urban ward seats. At least 1,584 candidates have already returned unopposed, according to the election commission.

Elections in Quetta and Lasbela did not take place on the order of the high court in a case involving objections against new delimitation.